Baby Products I Rarely Used, and What I Used Instead!

There were some baby products that pregnant me was absolutely convinced she would use every day. And some of those items were almost never touched. Every baby and every momma is different, but these are those items that I hardly (if ever!) used, and what I chose to use instead!

Now, this list is going to be interesting because this is a list of items that I never used with my first baby. This in no way means that you shouldn’t use these products or that they won’t work for you. In fact, I may find that one of my “never used” items on this list becomes one of my “must-haves” for a future baby down the road! You never know what will work for each individual kid.

I ALMOST NEVER USED MUSLIN SWADDLE BLANKETS

I read all over the internet that classic muslin swaddle blankets were the number one must have item for newborns. And I didn’t like them. I never loved the material and I felt like I could almost never get Calvin swaddled tightly and securely using one. Honestly, I mostly used them for burp clothes when I didn’t have an actual burp cloth handy.

INSTEAD, I USED RAFE AND MOOSE JERSEY STRETCH SWADDLES

Now, these Rafe and Moose swaddle blankets are truly one of my number one must have items for newborns. They are lightweight, huge and so, so soft. I was also able to wrap Calvin up so tight and snug in these blankets, which I just couldn’t do with the muslin ones. These blankets also wash so beautifully and still look brand new. This company is small, and Utah-based, but they are awesome. They also sell matching bows and beanies. They release new colors seasonally, so keep an eye out!

I NEVER USED MY RING SLING OR MEI-TEI BABY CARRIERS

Let me tell you, I really wanted to love my ring sling. I had been in love with them since long before I ever became pregnant. I thought they were so beautiful and looked so fast once you got the hang of them. And then, no matter how hard I tried, I could not get Calvin in mine where we were both comfortable. Not as a newborn, not as a sitter, and i’ve still been unsuccessful with him as a toddler. I plan to keep my ring sling at least until the next baby, but if I can’t figure it out then either, I plan to donate it to a local baby wearing library.

I also had a Mei-Tei carrier that was a hand-me-down from my aunt. I had used it with her youngest baby a time or two (I was 17 when he was born) I though I enjoyed it then with her baby, I didn’t love it as much with mine. I just had other carrier options that I preferred so I never used it. It also had the longest straps I had ever seen and was a little too tricky to put on by myself.

INSTEAD, I USED THE SOLLYBABY WRAP FOR THE NEWBORN STAGE AND NOW USE A SAKURA BLOOM ONBUHIMO

Oh, how I love my Sollybaby wrap. I used it several times a week when Calvin was a tiny newborn (if not every day!) He always felt so comfortable and secure in it. There was a little bit of a learning curve, but once I had it figured out, I could get him in that thing pretty quickly. I used it from literally our first day home until he was about four months old.

Now that he is older, I use a Sakura Bloom Onbuhimo almost daily. I love this carrier as much as I loved the sollybaby when he was little. I didn’t purchase it until Calvin was nearly a year old, but I could have started using one like it when he was around six months old. It is so easy for me to put on by myself, I can wear him on my front or on my back, and it doesn’t have a waist or hip belt, so it is belly bump friendly. Calvin always likes to be up where he can see all the action, so the back-carry function works beautifully for us.

I NEVER USED NUK, TOMMY TIPPY, DR. BROWN’S, OR AVENT BOTTLES

Despite trying all of these brands of bottles, none of them worked for us. Either Calvin didn’t drink well out of them or they simply had too many parts, especially for our dishwasher-less kitchen. When I was pregnant, I bought one bottle from each of these brands so that I would be able to have a selection to choose from and try with the baby.

WE ONLY USED BOON NURSH BOTTLES

We got lucky and the bottle that Calvin liked the best was also the bottle that we liked the best and was the easiest to hand wash. These Boon NURSH bottles are modular, and because the milk goes in a silicone pouch, you can flip the pouch inside out while washing and get it really nice and clean. They’re also great for travel and come in a 4 oz. and 8 oz. sizes.

CALVIN NEVER SLEPT IN A BASSINET BY OUR BED

I really considered a bassinet. One of those oval beds that are perfectly baby-sized. It seemed like a great place for baby to sleep in the first months and having something relatively small and easy to move sounded nice. The ones that rotate 360 degrees were amazing. But I also knew that we had other options and our budget didn’t really allow for the expense of a bassinet. So we never purchased one and Calvin never slept in one, even as a newborn.

INSTEAD, CALVIN SLEPT IN A PACK N’ PLAY NEXT TO OUR BED

We purchased a Pack N’ Play with the option to have the sleeping pad raised up. We put a waterproof mattress protector and then a cotton sheet on the pad that came with the Pack N’ Play and Calvin has always slept great on it. It also gave him room to wiggle as he grew and he still sleeps great in it when he travel. Our bed sits up pretty high though, so next time I’ll use bed risers on the Pack N’ Play to bring it up a little and make picking the baby up from the bed easier.

I REFUSED TO USE BABY GOWNS WITH ELASTIC AT THE BOTTOM

I heard that baby gowns with the elastic at the bottom were the absolute best for changing diapers in the middle of the night. I did not agree. Calvin’s feet and legs always felt chilly in them (and there was no way to keep socks on his little feet), and I always felt like I had to wiggle him so much to work the bottom of the gown up over his kicking legs and his bulky diaper. No, these were a total no-go for me.

INSTEAD, I USED ZIPPERED FOOTIE PAJAMAS EXCLUSIVELY

Calvin lived in zippered pajamas for the first several months of his life. Heck, he even wore footie pajamas in a family picture because they were clean and the right color. The absolute best ones are the ones with two-way zippers (they can be unzipped from the top or the bottom). Having lots and lots of these zippered sleepers is important to me in those early days, weeks, and months.

I TRIED A STRETCHY NURSING COVER, AND IT DIDN’T LAST LONG

Calvin was a struggle to nurse from the beginning. I tell that whole story in another blog post that you can read if you are interested. Long story short, I had to have eyes on him at all times when he was nursing to make sure that he was awake and latching. Trying to peek at him under a stretchy, jersey cover just didn’t work. If he had been a more natural nurser or a better latcher (or if COVID-19 hadn’t existed and we had actually been able to go somewhere) maybe I would have used it more.

I JUST NURSED OUT IN THE OPEN

Granted, I was usually in the privacy of my own home, but I usually nursed uncovered. I even got to the point that I was comfortable nursing him uncovered around my extended family. It was just something I was comfortable with.

NEVER USED THE CLASSIC AVENT SOOTHIES (PACIFIERS)

Don’t get me wrong, I had some of these on hand because they were the pacifiers that I always saw babies using. But Cal never liked these pacifiers. He had a really difficult time holding them in his mouth while he was trying to soothe himself with it. Which usually meant that he ended up more frustrated by the pacifier than soothed and comforted by it. They just never worked for him.

CALVIN CHOSE TO USE BIBS PACIFIERS EXCLUSIVELY

These BIBS pacifiers are not cheap by any means. I won a giftcard on Instagram to a company that sells them, so I gave them a try. And Calvin liked them best of all. He could actual hold them in his mouth all by himself! Plus the handle makes grabbing it, attaching it to clips, and holding it in my mouth while I do things really easy. These pacifiers have become very trendy and “in” as far as baby products go. But we really like them. They also come in a variety of colors, so you can get each kid a specific color if you have mulitple babes with binkies.

I hope all of this information was helpful to some of you! If you have any baby products that you absolutely loved (or any you hoped to love, but didn’t) let me know in the comments. Or feel free to message me over on Instagram!